When does brand endorsement guarantee ROI?
By Ibidunni Banjoko
Globacom, Nigeria’s digital and telecommunications services provider, recently appointed Tobi Amusan, the Commonwealth and World Champion in the Women’s 100m hurdles, as its latest Brand Ambassador. The unveiling ceremony took place at the company’s headquarters, Mike Adenuga Towers, in Victoria Island, Lagos. Amusan is the first female athlete to be endorsed by the company.
Commenting on the endorsement, Amusan promised to be a good representative of the company and the youths at all times. She also assured the company that she would continue to project a positive image of the brand across the world.
“I am proud to be associated with Glo as its brand ambassador. It is a proudly Nigerian company doing great things and empowering Nigerians,” she said.
Apart from Glo signing her on, since Amusan’s victory, some big brands in Nigeria have congratulated and associated with her on her success stories by posting her picture on their social media handles. Meanwhile, before her success at the world athletics, these were the same brands that rebuffed the campaign targeted at investing in her and her colleagues.
Meanwhile, the billion naira question on the lips of industry watchers and experts is: At what point or stage does brand endorsement/ ambassadorship guarantee Return on Investment (ROI) in the personality of the endorser?
In a LinkedIn post, Tega Onojaife, Sports Presenter/ Producer at Smooth fm, said: “Last year, I approached some brands with an “Invest in Her” campaign, targeted at women athletes in Nigeria. Some of them were hair brands. None of them agreed to take up the offer. At this year’s World Athletics Championship #oregon2022, we have a World record Holder/Gold medalist, Silver medalist and the 4x100m relay team that holds the new African record. Some of these ladies were a proposed part of that campaign.”
Sharing their views, some experts argued that brands miss out on opportunities because they refuse to support talent, preferring to explore readily made success for easy gain, others called for the government to provide incentives for companies that invest in local talents.
Sabuni Kamal, CEO K.S Pro Darts Championship Series, said: “Local companies should take the lead in supporting athletes (all sports). “You usually find international brands based in Africa not supporting our own because they have already invested in their sports personalities abroad. This should change to local presence with local support. The government could help with incentives to those companies that invest in our local talent (and their ecosystem) from grassroots to professionals.”
Mariame Diakite, Managing Director at Diam Partners/ PR Expert mentioned that: “It’s sad that some brands shoot themselves in the foot. In general, they are already looking for people with an established reputation instead of accompanying those who have potential. It’s even more serious when it comes to women’s sports. That’s a shame.”
However, Sunkanmi Ogunniyi, Associate Group Head, Business Innovation & Strategy, CMC Connect (Perception Managers) stated that athletics is probably not at that stage yet as a sport and that Nigeria is still struggling for relevance on the global playground, while arguing that there will definitely be hesitation on the parts of brands or managers
“I don’t think it’s a case of waiting till the athlete becomes successful before associating with them, it’s more the story around it. For instance, I remember Peak milk did a campaign for the Paralympics team or so. But it wasn’t just one part. If the storytelling for these athletes is strong and has guaranteed Return on Investment (ROI), I don’t think people will turn a blind eye,” he argued.
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